Inheritance Consulting envisions a world in which nonprofits have the freedom & flexibility to be in a constant state of discovery, revaluation, re-invention and innovation.
How We Got Here
In 2016, the earth beneath our feet shifted. We ALL felt it. There could be no doubt that the lives of virtually every nonprofit would be changed forever.
I had spent over a decade running the political department and another six years as COO of an abortion rights organization. I knew if we didn’t rise to the challenge, everything we fought for would be lost. I also knew there was more I could be doing to support the work of nonprofits across the country. I just didn’t know how. Yet.
That same year, we began an equity & inclusion process that was one of the most transformational experiences of my life. Serving as the liaison to our consultants, staff and board, the process was pained, traumatic, disillusioning and, ultimately, illuminating. It became clear that if meaningful equity & inclusion was to become a permanent part of the organization, someone on senior management needed to step down so that a person of color could rise up. After 18 years, I tendered my resignation in the fall of 2018.
Great move, kid. Now what? I knew I had a unique perspective to offer other nonprofits. I started as an Administrative Assistant and worked my way up to be an Interim Executive Director and Board President. I learned from experience what worked and what was destined to fail. Yet it wasn’t until the fall of 2019 that it all came together. And it occurred in a single day.
The play was called, “The Inheritance,” by Matthew Lopez. A 6 ½ hour epic about a group of young gay men in current day NYC, harkening back to the AIDS epidemic and also to a time when gay men lived their entire lives in the closet. I sat there dumbstruck as I saw my entire life pass before my eyes. I was overwhelmed, but I also had my answer. At its core, “The Inheritance” was about the obligation that exists between generations. The legacy we leave behind.
I made a decision that day, and launched a nonprofit consulting firm named Inheritance Consulting.
The ground underneath our feet has indeed shifted. We cannot ignore the fact we live in perilous times. Inheritance Consulting exists to ensure your nonprofit has the tools, resources, support and capacity to leave the world better off for the next generation. I know firsthand who works at our nonprofits. I see you. I know who you are. And I know this is our responsibility and our calling.
Let’s make it so together.
Andrew Stern (Principal, Inheritance Consulting )
From “The Inheritance” by Matthew Lopez
The Cherry Blossom is one of the most glorious sights of the spring calendar — the effect of its pink flowers en masse is almost ethereal. But its splendor is short lived: the blossom soon falls to the ground in great drifts like snow, and its glory is over. It is a reminder that life is fleeting and time is precious. Enjoy the moment, celebrate its coming, acknowledge its passing without sorrow, and keep planting saplings. ….From “A Victorian Flower Dictionary.”